Kentucky needs two viable political parties. Here’s how Democrats should resurrect themselves.
Republished from Kentucky Lantern
About a year ago I published an article stating my opinion that the Kentucky Democratic Party needed a complete overhaul. Several news outlets picked it up and I heard back from a few dozen people about how good it was and that it was exactly what needed to happen. Then the silence hit. Absolutely nothing came of it. As further evidence, this past Tuesday, Democratic Party candidates suffered even more devastating defeat.
The Kentucky I see today is very different from what I witnessed 30 years ago when I became a lobbyist in Frankfort. Extreme issues, barely considered then, are commonplace today, and candidates who would have received no consideration at all are getting elected. And it has affected my family and our lives, because both of my daughters worry about starting a family because of issues that may result if there are problems with the pregnancy.
Aside from our governor, Kentucky Democrats are a non-factor in our state, federal, and increasingly so, local governments. A few decades ago they were in the overwhelming majority. Today, Democrats find themselves in the underwhelming minority. And while several reasons exist for this, the most significant among them is a change in direction by the Democratic Party three Democratic governors ago. The party decided that its primary goal was the next election of the current governor, a philosophy that still exists and has devastated the party’s standing to this day.
Tuesday, most of our Democratic candidates were annihilated. And while I admire them for stepping up and running, something I was not willing to do, they had almost no chance of success. Reason being, if you stop at almost any household in rural Kentucky, and ask the occupants what they think of the Democratic Party, they will likely tell you, “Well they kill babies and they take our guns.” And if you stick around and ask for more, it will likely get even worse. Not a word will be said about policies for farmers or affordable health insurance or the fight for a livable minimum wage.
Over the last several decades, only one political voice has been offered in Kentucky. And if you say something often enough and no one offers another side, then, as I said in my last letter, that statement becomes the truth. I am heavily involved in fundraising for candidates from the governor and Congress to state and local offices, and I never hear a peep from anyone associated with the Democratic Party regarding any issue. Resultingly there is no longer a balanced approach to the formation of public policy in our state, and we desperately need two viable political parties in Kentucky.
I have grave concerns that Kentucky Democrats have no one in the pipeline who is electable for governor, Congress or any of the state down-ticket offices, and that our state House and Senate presence will continue to dwindle. So, as in my last communication, I am calling for a statewide Democratic convention and a restructuring of the party so that the chairman is elected by the membership (and therefore not accountable to one person) and development of a new set of ideals and goals. Those goals must include: a definition of who and what the party is; the grassroots development of potential candidates for local, state and federal office; coordination of our local parties; development and ability to deliver messages to our citizens; and a bold chairman and staff who understand what the average person in Kentucky is concerned about.
This movement needs to begin immediately. If what I am calling for became reality tomorrow, we are still, best-case scenario, looking at 20 years before we can turn the tide, with Democrats being able to make a substantial contribution to public policy in Kentucky.
And yes, I am deflated over our losses Tuesday, but I’ll tell you one thing, I am not ready to give up. That being said, I cannot be the only person to speak out about this.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and Twitter. Kentucky Lantern stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
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